How to Rule Your Dragons
by obsessive360
Summary: After the flight on Toothless, Hiccup and Astrid tried thinking up ways to not kill the Monstrous Nightmare. They only found one; their parents found they were gone the next day. Seven years later, Berk finds them. Thing is, Hiccup and Astrid are not the same people they were before they left. How will their old friends and families respond to this? Only one way to find out...(R&R)
1. The Runaways

**A/N**: I like HTTYD, but this is my first attempt at a story for this show. If it's horrid, just tell me. Well, I hope you like it. R&amp;R, please! P.S. I don't own any of this, except the plot line and any OCs I come up with. This chapter has been edited! After looking it over, I realized what happened. I have a little sister who likes to pull pranks, like changing words in any of my open Word documents. I kept going back and redoing the things that she messed up, and I guess I missed a few things. I hope it's better now!

Hiccup and Astrid sat together in the cove after they agreed not to tell Stoic about what they had just witnessed. The two were trying to think up a plan to keep Hiccup from being forced to kill the Monstrous Nightmare in the morning. So far, none of their plans were any good.

"I only see one clear out in all of this: Toothless and I have to leave.", Hiccup said finally.

"You can't leave! What about your dad? What about Gober? And would you really leave Berk in the hands of Snotlout as its next chief?", Astrid asked.

"If I don't kill the Nightmare tomorrow, my dad will just disown me anyway. Gober can make it without me, Astrid, we all know that. When and if Snotlout grows up, he might make a half-decent chief.", he replied, and Astrid sighed.

"Hiccup-one more thing. What about me?", she asked in a soft tone that Hiccup did not know she even had.

"Astrid, what am I supposed to do, take you with us?", he asked.

"Why not? If I stay here, we both know what's going to happen. After tonight, I will never be able to kill a dragon. I'll get banished for sure. On the odd chance that I don't get banished, I'll probably wind up being forced to marry Snotlout when we come of age, and I would rather marry a troll than Snotlout.", Astrid responded.

Hiccup remained silent, thinking everything she said over. Astrid was worried. What if Hiccup did decide to leave her on Berk?

"Hiccup-", but said teenage boy cut her off.

"Fine, you can come, too; but first, we need to get you a ride and help you learn how to fly; I think I know just the dragon."

"I think I understand the flying part. I was watching more than just the clouds on the ride with Toothless, Hiccup.", Astrid replied with a laugh, and Hiccup agreed that flying really was not as difficult as he made it out to be when the dragon was not crippled.

So, under the cover of darkness, the two teens snuck into the training arena; and Hiccup picked the lock on the cage-like cell holding the Dangerous Nadder. The blue and yellow dragon walked out, sniffing around for the Night Fury she smelled. Instead, she just saw Hiccup and Astrid, both weaponless.

"It's okay, girl. We're friendly. We're not here to hurt you, even though we did try to the other day.", Hiccup told her soothingly.

Astrid stepped forward, marveling at the creature before her. The Nadder noticed, as she moved herself towards Astrid slightly. Gently, Hiccup lifted Astrid's hand with his own, and the Nadder sniffed the hand. Hiccup let go as the dragon's snout and the teenage girl's hand made contact. Astrid had definitely found her dragon.

"She likes you. Now, I think she needs a name.", Hiccup said softly.

"I like her, too! How about Stormfly?", Astrid asked the dragon, who nodded happily.

"Stormfly it is! Do you think you can get home, get packed, and meet us back at the cove?", Hiccup asked Astrid.

"Sure. What supplies did you already have packed when I got down there earlier?", she asked in reply.

"Fish, my notebooks, clothes, spare materials from the forge, and a map.", he replied.

"So, you didn't pack a pillow or a blanket?", she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No. I figured I'd sleep in Toothless' wings. I do it all the time after flights, and he's extremely protective, so it's perfectly safe.", Hiccup answered honestly.

"Okay then.", Astrid said quietly before turning to leave for her house for the last time.

Morning rose over Berk, and what was meant to be a happy day, quickly turned tragic for two families. Stoic the Vast and the Hofferson family had both woken to the empty beds of Hiccup and Astrid. Thinking that the two might be at the training center, the three worried parents soon found that, not only were they missing two teenagers, but they were also missing a Deadly Nadder.

"NO!", Stoic howled loud enough to shake the arena, and far away, the sound only just managed to reach the ears of a teenaged boy on the back of a dragon.

"Hey, Astrid, I think they know we're gone.", Hiccup called out to the blonde, who was having the time of her young life; Astrid loved flying.

"We have to land soon, Hiccup. We've been flying all night, and I haven't eaten since lunch!", Astrid called back to her green-eyed companion, her eyes drifting to the glorious morning aurora that was the sunrise before her.

"Over there! I see an island, and it has a small village. We might be able to hide there for a day or so!", he called back, and they steered their dragons toward the piece of land.

Upon landing on the beach, Hiccup's ears perked up. His sense had become more fine tuned since he had met and began training with Toothless, who had heard the noise as well. He looked at Astrid, who looked back at him curiously.

"What is it?", she asked.

"I heard something. Stay here with Stormfly and Toothless. If I scream, let Toothless come find me.", he replied before walking off in the direction of the sound.

Astrid turned to Toothless and asked a single question, "Is he always this stupid?"

Toothless nodded, but smiled all the same. After all, doing things both crazy and stupid was how Hiccup had became so close to them.

With one look, all three defied Hiccup's orders and followed him into the forest. They found Hiccup in a clearing, looking at a small dragon in front of him. Wrapped in the dragon's wings, they saw a small girl with dark waves of chestnut hair.

"It's a Night Fury. Astrid, Stormfly, Toothless, I know you three are there. You guys can come on out.", he called to the trio, who all inched closer upon hearing the dragon's species.

Astrid knelt beside Hiccup, her eyes on the child, not the dragon. The girl stirred, and the dragon woke. Toothless was right beside Hiccup, daring the younger Night Fury to attack. The little girl got up, and the dragon snarled at them.

"It's okay, Angel. I don't think they're going to hurt us.", the girl told the dragon softly.

"You're right. I'm Astrid, and this is Hiccup. We have dragon friends too, see?", Astrid said softly, gesturing to Stormfly and Toothless.

"I thought I was the only one.", the girl said breathlessly.

"So did I, until I taught Astrid.", Hiccup replied, and Astrid, giving her friend a small smile and a slight eye-roll, lightly punched Hiccup in the shoulder.

"Toothless helped teach me too, you know, and Stormfly and I just understand each other.", she said with a laugh, and the little girl giggled at the two teens.

"I'm Janne, by the way, and this is Angel.", she managed to get out through her giggles.

"Pleased to meet you, Janne. Same to you, Angel.", Hiccup said with a smile, holding out his hand to the young girl.

That night, as Hiccup smoked three fish for the three humans, Astrid asked the question that had been bugging both her and Hiccup all day.

"So, Janne, where are your parents? In fact, where is everyone from the village?"

"A few months ago, we were under attack. Dragons were stealing sheep, and everyone was going crazy. While everyone was running to the boats to get away, I ran here. I was trying to find Angel, because we both thought she was the last Night Fury until now, and I didn't want her getting hurt. She's still a youngling after all. Angel came looking for me as well, and a Rumblehorn sort of blew up the center of town. Angel picked me up and carried me out here, and my village sailed away, thinking me dead. Since then, Angel and I have kept each other safe. She brings me fish and cooks it for me with her, sometimes accidental, plasma blasts, and I help keep her scales clean.", the child explained.

"And how old are you?", Hiccup asked, worried he would not like the answer.

"I just turned seven years old last month.", Janne replied quietly, but both teens heard her.

Hiccup was angry. Or at least he was angry later that night as silently crept into Janne's abandoned village. She had been only six years old, and they did nothing to help her? The entire village left her for dead, left her to be sacrificed to the queen. That infuriated Hiccup!

With these thoughts on his mind, he got to work as soon as he entered the town's forge. He worked through most of the night, and did not stop until he was finished with his two new creations. Quietly, he tip-toed around the sleeping forms of Janne and Astrid, not wanting to ruin the surprise.

That morning, when Astrid woke, she saw someone had put something on Stormfly's back. Taking a closer look, she saw it was a saddle. All of her belongings were tied down to the saddle, and Stormfly's name was emblazoned upon it. Turning around, Astrid saw Hiccup admiring _her_ admiring his handiwork.

"You did this?", she asked in a whisper.

"Yep. I made one for Angel and Janne too. I can't believe they just left her! How can a person do that to a child?", Hiccup was starting to scream at that point, and Astrid placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I know, and I don't understand it either; but instead of waking her up and frightening her, why don't we ask her if she wants to come along with us?", Astrid asked soothingly.

"Yes! Angel and I want to go with you guys!", a small voice said from behind them.

"Are you sure, Janne?", Hiccup asked gently, his green eyes locked on Janne's equally emerald eyes.

"Positive!", she chirped, and Astrid nodded in approval.

"Well then, let me put this saddle on Angel for you, and we'll be off.", and that is exactly what happened.

* * *

A Few Months Later…

Back on Berk, life had been dark and depressing for all. No one had neither seen nor heard from Hiccup or Astrid in months, except for one. There had also been no dragon raids in the last week, which mystified everybody, except for one.

One night the previous week, Gober had been in the forge, late at night, when the doors flew open so suddenly that he fell off of his stool.

"Gober!", Astrid called.

"Astrid is that you?", he asked.

"Yes, it's me, but you can't tell anyone you saw me. Hiccup took down the queen of the nearest nest, and he's okay, but he lost his left leg. His Night Fury tried to save him, but Toothless was almost too late.", Gober tried stop her talking for just a moment, but she continued to beg him to make Hiccup a prosthetic leg.

"I'll do it, but you have to tell me the whole story while I work.", the smith told the teen with a happy smile, his first in weeks.

"Fine, but only because you care enough about Hiccup to not tell anyone, even Stoic; that, and Hiccup really needs a new leg.", Astrid said with a shake of her head as she began the tale.

By the time she was through, so was the leg and new prosthetic fin for Toothless. Gober agreed not to tell a soul until Hiccup was ready. He knew how stubborn both his best friend and his apprentice could be, so he would not rush them into trying to understand each other. Astrid thanked him before running off into the woods, where Stormfly was waiting.

* * *

The next month, when Hiccup woke, he found two pairs of green eyes trained on him, and a third pair was trained on the door. That was when he looked around to see that he was in the abandoned forge on Janne's home island.

"You're awake!", said little girl chirped upon seeing his eyes open.

"Yeah, I'm awake. How did we get here? What happened? Where's Astrid?", he asked, allowing the little girl to curl up against his right side.

"Well, Stormfly carried you, Toothless, and Astrid back here after you took down the queen, who we've named the Red Death. Astrid went with Stormfly to catch some fish for dinner. Angel, can you go find Astrid?", Janne replied, turning to her best friend.

In response to the question, the younger Night Fury took off through the door and out of sight. Janne smiled, giggled, and curled up against Hiccup again.

"I take that as a 'Yes.' Wouldn't you?", Hiccup said to both Janne and Toothless, who was on the floor on Hiccup's left side.

"Something else happened when you killed the Red Death, Hiccup. Well, two somethings happened, really.", she said, while Toothless simply whimpered.

"What else happened, Janne?", Hiccup asked softly, but she still began crying.

"Well, for one," she took a breath before continuing. "You should probably take a look at your left side."

Hiccup did as she said, and he was frozen for a moment or two in shock. His leg was gone from foot to shin. Letting it sink in, he turned back to Janne.

"And?"

"And, when Astrid brought you back, I was so scared you were going to die. She went you your friend Gober, the blacksmith in Berk; and, after telling him the entire story, she had him agree that dragons aren't demons from the pits of Helhiem, and he made you a new leg and Toothless a new fin. He promised to keep quiet about everything until you got up the courage to tell your dad yourself. So, Astrid and I put your new leg on you, and Toothless let me put his new fin on him. Then, one day a few weeks ago, you almost did die. Astrid went to find help, and the three of us stayed with you. I was crying, I was yelling, and I said something that I probably shouldn't have said.", the seven year old said as she tried to stop her voice from cracking as she cried.

"What did you say, Janne? You know I won't be mad, right? And watch your language, as well.", Hiccup asked in the same way a concerned father might ask his daughter a question, and she refused to look at him when she spoke.

"I told you that I couldn't lose you, that you and Astrid have been a better set of parents in three months that my real parents were in six and a half years. I told you that I didn't want you to leave me, no matter how selfish it sounded, and I told you that I love you guys.", it Hiccup like a ton of bricks.

Janne was right. In the three months the trio of humans and trio of dragons had been together, he and Astrid had taught Janne how to read, how to write, how to smoke fish, and how to train dragons. They talked with her about her problems, and they sat up with her after her nightmares, telling her stories to distract her. Hiccup knew it was strange that he felt very parental towards this girl who would have been born when he was eight years old, but he knew she needed someone to look out for her when Angel could not. He knew that Janne was right.

"Janne, don't cry, please? I just want you to look at me when I say this." the seven year old did as asked. "I promise you that I won't die anytime soon, and I promise you that you'll never lose me. I know I'm not your dad, but I can almost guarantee you that I love you just as much, if not more, than he would. How could anyone not love you, though?"

Janne smiled and let out a yawn. Her hand flew to her mouth, and Hiccup laughed.

"Someone sounds sleepy.", he said.

"I-I'm not s-sl-sleepy.", she said, but Hiccup was not buying it.

"Go to sleep, Janne. I'll wake you when Astrid gets back.", he told her, and she was out in seconds, clinging to Hiccup as if he was an over-sized stuffed animal. Sighing to himself, and to Toothless, Hiccup found his copy of _The Dragon Handbook_, and decided to add an entry about the Red Death.

That was how Astrid found them when she walked in roughly twenty minutes later.

"Hiccup! You're awake!", she exclaimed.

"Janne told me everything, and I'm not upset. You did what you had to do.", he told her quietly, as to not wake his new pseudo-daughter.

"Everything?", Astrid asked worriedly.

"About the Red Death, Gober knowing, and what she said when I was out, yeah.", he responded, and she looked relieved.

"Well, there's something I have to tell you.", and then Hiccup knew Janne did not tell him everything after all.

"Is something wrong, Astrid?", he asked, trying his best to not panic.

"No, nothing is wrong!", she said a little harsher than she meant to.

"You're obviously snapping at me for a reason, so something has to be going on! Just tell me what your problem is, Astrid!", Hiccup whisper-hissed.

"Fine! One night when you were knocked out, after Janne went to sleep, I stayed awake a little later, sitting beside you. I cried, Hiccup. I actually cried! And do you know why I cried?", she snapped while still keeping quiet enough to let Janne sleep.

"No, I don't. If I did, you wouldn't be telling me any of this.", Hiccup replied dryly.

"Because I was terrified of the thought of you dying! Hiccup, starting from the moment I apologized to Toothless on that flight, I've been slowly falling in love with you! There, I said it! I am in love with you, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third! Are you happy now?", Astrid finally snapped, and Hiccup smiled.

"Yes, yes I am. Astrid, I've been in love with you for as long as I can remember knowing you. There's just one problem; what are we going to do about Janne?", Hiccup said, and Astrid smiled at the sleeping girl.

"I say we keep her. I kinda love my little dragon rider, and we've had a lot of time to bond while you've been out.", Astrid told him with a light laugh.

"It looks like we're going to have to find a more permanent place to live, someplace with people other than us, if we're going to be responsible for a child now. You know, I always figured I would be older, and married, before I was responsible for any children.", Hiccup said, throwing in his normal Hiccup Humor at the end.

"Me too, but I also never expected to befriend dragons and run away from Berk. Life is even stranger than I thought it could be.", Astrid added, and the two dissolved into a fit of laughter.

Eventually, the laughter died down, and Hiccup turned to Astrid. Seizing the moment, he grabbed her face with both hands and pulled her towards him and into a kiss. If Astrid was stunned, it was only for a moment. Almost at once, she kissed back.

When the kiss ended, Astrid got up and moved to go back outside. Hiccup understood what she was doing, and he gently woke Janne. It was dinner time.

* * *

Three months passed before Hiccup and Astrid had found a place that they deemed good enough for them to raise Janne. The previous three months, aside from Hiccup's recovery, had been spent learning Dragonese, bonding even more as a family, and trying to find a tribe that would not attempt to kill the dragons on site.

They had been flying around for most of the day, and all three were on the look out for an island they could spend the night on. They actually were flying right over an island. None of them saw it until Angel dove straight down towards it. Hiccup followed the youngest dragon's gaze and his daughter's yelp of surprise, only to see something sparkling on the ground.

"_Toothless, I am so sorry that I'm saying this, but she is so easily distracted._", Hiccup said to his best friend as they flew after the two females.

"_Yeah, Stormfly, I'm sorry, but it's the truth._", Astrid told Stormfly, who had agreed to be Angel's surrogate mother and Toothless the surrogate father.

Upon landing, it was discovered that the sparkling object was a cluster of crystals that seemed to just sprout out of the ground. Hiccup let out a chuckle before turning to Janne, who was shaking her head at Angel.

"I knew dragons liked to try to catch dots of light, but crystals?", he laughed out.

"You're the one said every dragon has its own unique quirks, Daddy. Yours likes to draw in the dirt, Mom's like to fly off in the middle of storms and not return for an hour or so, and mine happens to be easily distracted.", Janne said, and the little family laughed, not realizing that they were being watched; well, at least not until Hiccup saw Toothless stiffen and looked the way he was staring.

"Who's there?", Hiccup asked as he moved in front of Astrid and Janne.

"Please, don't hurt me! I live in the village, and I saw you flying earlier, so I came to see who you were. If you were friendly, I was going to invite you to the dragon festival.", said a boy not much older than Janne.

"Dragon festival?", Hiccup asked.

"Yes. Every year, we hold a festival to celebrate the dragons who make the crystals grow on our island. This year is special, because the elder says the new chief is going to be picked tonight!", the boy cried out, and Hiccup turned to Astrid and Janne.

"Do you two want to go to this festival?", he asked.

"Yes, please!", Janne begged.

"Why not? Do you two want to go?", Astrid asked Stormfly and Toothless.

Both dragons nodded, and Angel nodded too. She went wherever Janne went, and there was no way anyone could stop her.

"I guess we can come to the festival. Now, what's your name?", Hiccup asked the boy.

"My name is Kari Bergson. I know it sounds girly, but my mom was kinda hoping for a girl when she had me, considering I have four older brothers.", he answered with a laugh.

"Trust me, I've heard worse. I'm Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. This guy here is my best friend, Toothless. He and Angel are Night Furies.", Hiccup told Kari, who was floored.

"Night Furies? So this is what they look like? We've had many dragons on the island, but never have we ever had a Night Fury!", he said in awe.

"I didn't know there were any other Night Furies left until I met these guys. Angel was the only one, as far as I knew. I'm Janne, by the way.", Janne added, and Kari turned to her.

Astrid saw the boy's expression, and she had to muffle her laughter. He was clearly interested in Janne, which Astrid only knew because of the looks Hiccup used to giver her.

"I'm Astrid Hofferson, and this is Stormfly, the most beautiful and deadliest of all Deadly Nadders, at least as far as Toothless or I am concerned.", Astrid said, temporarily taking Kari's attention off of Janne.

"It's nice to meet you all. C'mon, the village is this way!", Kari said, walking back in the direction from which he came.

As they entered the village, all of the visitors looked around in awe. The villagers were working _with_ the dragons, putting up tables and setting out chairs. Kari smiled at the looks on their faces, and then he ran off to the man who seemed to be in charge of the set up.

"Dad! I found people in the woods, and they have dragons!", he cheered, and his father looked over Kari's head and right at Hiccup, Astrid, Janne, Toothless, Stormfly, and Angel.

"Well, how about I go and talk to them, and you go help your mother with the food. And don't steal any of it this time, Kar!", he called out to his son as the boy hurried over to a nearby stone house.

The man, Kari's father, walked over to them. He noticed how Hiccup and Toothless moved in front of the females in their group, obviously trying to protect them. He also noticed how Astrid and Stormfly seemed to be moving behind Janne and Angel, to shield them from anyone who might come at them from behind. Together, they seemed like a sort of family.

"Hello, I am Oleg Bergson. Kari said he found you all in the woods, correct?", he introduced himself to the group.

"That is correct. Hello, I am Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.", Hiccup spoke very clearly and politely.

"Well, Hiccup, what brings you and your friends to Crystilian?", Oleg asked merrily.

"It's a long story.", Hiccup answered bashfully.

"Well, I've got some time. Why don't we all go find a table, and then you three can tell me that story.", Oleg said, and Hiccup smiled before agreeing.

They sat down at one of the tables in the back of the festival area, which was on the island's beach, and Hiccup started telling the story. He told Oleg about the dragon raids, about the night he shot Toothless out of the air, about giving Toothless his prosthetic fin, and about leaving Berk with Astrid; he told Oleg about how they met Janne, about the Red Death, and about being able to speak Dragonese.

Astrid took over from there, telling Oleg how she went back to Berk to get Gober to make Hiccup's prosthetic leg and Toothless' newest prosthetic fin. Then, it was finally Janne's turn to tell her tale.

By that point, Oleg's wife, Ingrid, and Kari had joined them at the table. Only Astrid noticed Hiccup's balled fists as Janne told the Bergsons about her entire village leaving her behind, not even attempting to get her back from the dragon they had thought kidnapped her. Only Astrid noticed how he automatically pulled Janne closer to him before she even began talking about what happened when Hiccup was in a coma after taking down the Red Death, as if he knew how much it would hurt Janne to talk about that subject.

When the stories ended, Ingrid was in tears, Kari looked sad, and Oleg looked shocked. These six (three dragons, three humans) people had been through more than half the people in the village had ever been. They only had each other, but they seemed to be content with that. Finally, Oleg spoke.

"After all of that, where did that leave your relationships with each other?", he asked.

"Well, Astrid and I took on the roles of Janne's parents, and Toothless is like a brother to me; he's my best friend in the entire world. We're both still just teenager; Astrid is fifteen, and I only just turned sixteen, so we agreed that we would wait until we were a bit older before we married. We're sort of a hodgepodge family, I guess.", Hiccup said, and the others just nodded in agreement.

"Well, anyone in this village who heard your story would let you stay, no matter who gets picked tonight.", Ingrid said kindly, and Astrid asked her question.

"About that, what's the whole thing about the elder and her dragon choosing a new chief? I don't understand what's going on."

"Well, our chief, Vern Gornson, passed recently; and he had no living heir, so the elder and her dragon choose the new chief. I know it sounds odd, but it's tradition. Every time a new chief is chosen or takes over from his father, things around here change to his way of leading. Things change here nearly every thirty or forty years, so it's nothing to us.", Ingrid explained in a quiet voice.

Then, Toothless decided to speak up. There was something he had to tell Hiccup.

"_Hey, Hiccup, we need to talk._", he told his rider.

"_What's wrong, Bud?_", Hiccup asked him, not used to Toothless being this nervous.

"_Maybe we should leave this place before that elder's dragon gets here. Since you were the one to take down the Red Death, you are technically our hive's king. Plus, you smell like Night Fury, which would probably be an almost unrecognizable scent to this dragon. If we stay, we could face some serious unforeseen repercussions. Yes, I know big words, Hiccup!_", Toothless said as Hiccup let out a light chuckle at his friend's wit.

"_We'll be fine. You worry too much, and you know we need a more permanent place to live. Janne and Angel are too young to be vagabonds._", Hiccup replied, and Toothless had to give him that; Angel still did not know how to properly use her plasma blast, and he needed time to teach her!

"_Fine, but if something does happen, don't say I didn't warn you._", the older Night Fury warned, rolling his eyes at Hiccup.

"So, you're the king of the nest? I wonder if that means the raids on Berk have stopped since you killed the Red Death?", Astrid pondered.

Hiccup was about to respond when people began coming over to their table and asking them the same questions Oleg had asked. (By the end of the night, they had met every member of the village.) The questions soon led to food, dancing, and the villagers telling their own stories. Towards the end of the night, everyone stood as a tall, wispy woman with hair as white as snow made her way to the canopy at the front of the festival area.

This was Helga, the village elder. Under the canopy was her dragon, a Rumblehorn. Janne was practically glued to Hiccup's side after she saw it, and Angel was being sandwiched between Stormfly and Toothless so she would not go after it. Both still had left over fear and anger at the Rumblehorn who attacked Janne's village.

Everyone, human and dragon alike, watched as Helga woke her dragon, Axel.

"Go and find the one who will lead us.", she said to the dragon, who leapt to his feet (or paws) and went on his search.

Axel sniffed at several people, but stopped at Hiccup and sat down at his feet. The entire village gaped, so surprised that an outsider had been chosen.

"_This isn't because I'm the king of a dragons' nest, is it?_", Hiccup asked.

"_No, young one. Only the bravest of men could so easily befriend a Night Fury. I'm afraid that the little one, Angel, has been telling the other dragons your story. Night Fury, you have taught him well._", Axel replied as Toothless gave Hiccup his best 'I told you so' look.

"_I've only taught him what his brain has managed to absorb. And my name is Toothless._"

Axel simply smiled and turned to face Helga, who nodded before gaining the attention of the villagers.

"And there you have it. Our new chief is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the Dragon Rider.", she announced, and Hiccup turned to Toothless.

"_I should've listened to you, Buddy._"

**A/N:** There you have it. This has to be the longest PROLOGUE I have ever written, but I needed to explain certain things at the beginning. Once again, I hope you enjoyed this; so, R&amp;R! Please!


	2. Welcome to Crystilian

**A/N**: Surprise! I'm still alive! I would've updated sooner, but my flash drive with the most updated version of this chapter was stolen. Now that I've managed to recreate it the best I could, I am presenting it to you. Well, I hope you like it. R&amp;R, please! P.S. I don't own any of this, except the plot line and any OCs I come up with.

Stoic the Vast sat glumly in his chair in the mead hall on Berk. Ever since the disappearance of his son, Hiccup, eight months prior, he had been in a virtual state of depression. He hated himself, knowing that he had probably driven his son away by forcing the boy to train with the other teenagers in the art of dragon killing. After the last raid, Hiccup had tried to tell his father that he did not want to kill dragons anymore, but Stoic would not listen. Now, he was regretting every time he had ever told Hiccup that being himself was not enough for Stoic. The Chief of Berk vowed to Odin the All-father to cease dragon hunting forever if he could have Hiccup back. He was so caught up in making his silent, but solemn, vow that he didn't even notice his best friend and his brother-in-law making their way over to his chair.

"Stoic, we have news.", Gobber said quietly.

"About Hiccup?", Stoic asked hopefully.

"No, Stoic, this is about the dragons. The scouting crew we sent out looking for Hiccup and the Hofferson girl saw all of the dragons flying to this one particular island a month's journey away. We may have found their nest!", Spitelout responded happily, but Stoic's face fell.

"And what of Hiccup-and Astrid?", the chief asked, adding Astrid's name in as a last moment thought.

"Nothing, as far as we could tell, aside from the missing Nadder tells us anything about what happened to them. Stoic, perhaps it's time for you to realize that Hiccup is not coming home unless that Nadder returns and we slice its stomach open and his body falls out. There is no version of this in which he comes back alive.", Spitelout tried to reason with his brother-in-law.

"No, Spitelout. Hiccup is not dead. I am sure of that! I would know if my son was dead; I would feel that pain so deep in my heart that I would never rise from my bed again. My son is alive, and I will find him. Have someone try to track that Nadded that escaped. I have a feeling that Hiccup is wherever that winged devil flew. As for the others in the arena, keep them locked up, but keep them fed. We won't have any dragons to train the next batch with if we let those remaining three die, as we haven't been raided and able to replenish out stock in months.", Stoic said, turning to face the two men.

"But, Stoic, that could take years-", and Spitelout found himself cut off by the redhead.

"I don't care if it takes the rest of my life, I will find my son. How would you feel if it were Snotlout?", and Gobber decided to stay out of the two men's conversation at this point.

"Right, Stoic, I'll get that taken care of.", and though it took nearly a decade, Spitelout did what he was asked to do.

**Seven Years Later**

A large, stone house sat atop a hill, overlooking an equally large village filled with humans and dragons alike. It was in that house that the village's chief (and one nest of dragons' king) lived with his family. He was only twenty-two, but everyone respected him and did as he asked without question. Everyone in the village, called Crystilian, spoke Norse and Dragonese. Dragons from far and wide would come to the village seeking something. Whether it be help, love, or companionship, the dragons usually got what they wanted.

The chief was not a cruel man. It was against his nature to hurt others, and all knew it. The only times he had hurt a dragon were when he accidentally crippled the Night Fury he had long since bonded with, and when he took down the ferocious Red Death, to which he lost his leg.

His wife was a different story. She was a warrior at heart, and she had very little patience for stupidity; she had even less for rule breakers. As beautiful as she was, she was ten times more deadly, as was the Nadder she rode on.

Their eldest child was a daughter they had adopted prior to moving to the village. She had long chestnut hair and striking emerald eyes. Unless you knew it, you would never have thought that she was not the chief's blood daughter. She was so like him that the entire village would forget she was adopted until her birthday each year. Janne even rode a Night Fury like her father.

The couple's second child was their first born and eldest son. He had only just turned four years old, but Viktor was quite the ladies' man and trouble maker with his strawberry-blonde hair and bright green eyes; and no one could forget the black, white, and blue Nadder that went everywhere with him.

The third and fourth children were twins, girls. Holly and Iris were their names, and they were every bit the flowers they were named for. Holly was shy, quiet, and well-behaved for a three year old, while Iris was outgoing and wild. Their personalities differed so much, that each of the two had even bonded with a different dragon right around their third birthday.

The fifth child was the only other boy. At ten months old, Erik was every bit his father's son. He had just began to walk, and he knocked over everything in his path when he took his first steps. The two parents were almost certain he, too, would bond with a Night Fury.

On the Tyrsday morning prior to the Dragon Festival, a small ship arrived at the docks. The passengers were shocked to see people running, dragons flying, and everyone calling out one name.

"Viktor! Where are you, Viktor?", called out a dark haired young woman as she ran passed them.

"Janne, I've found them! Just in time, too, by the looks of it!", a young man called back to the girl as he made his way over to her with a small boy on his hip and a Nadder hatchling at his feet.

"Kari, thank you _so_ much! Vik, do you know how much trouble you are going to be in when Mommy gets back from her flight?", the young woman, Janne, said as she turned from the young man to the little boy.

"Don't be too hard on him. They just wanted to go and play, but they got scared by a ship coming towards the docks. I've already got him to tell me why he was even out of the house, so I wouldn't think of trying to get much more out of him.", the young man replied.

But before Janne could reply, a blue Nadder landed between the docks and the village. The woman astride the dragon was familiar to all of them, but not familiar all the same. She was tall, blonde, and curvy-yet not bulky. Almost as soon as she dismounted, she turned to the young people in front of her.

"We have company. The people on the docks behind Stormfly are from Berk. One of them is your grandfather, Janne. Stormfly is going to escort the younger two home, and you two have an important assignment.", Astrid said quietly.

"Mom, what do we have to do?", Janne asked, taking a ribbon from her belt and tying her hair back as she spoke.

"You and Kari need to find your father. He went flying with Toothless, and I don't want them coming back into an unknown or hostile environment. I'll handle the Berkians for a while. Go get Angel and Spike, and get to it.", Astrid ordered, and the two teenagers ran towards their dragons, leaving Astrid to let out a sigh before nodding to her best (non-human) friend.

As Stormfly took off with the toddler and the hatchling, Astrid had one thought.

'_Well, here goes pretty much everything!_'

But before she could speak, before Kari and Janne had even taken off, a familiar cry reached everyone's ears. It was a Night Fury, and this one had a clearly identifiable trait: a red prosthetic fin. The man astraddle the creature was taller than the blonde woman. Most of his appearance was impossible to make out due to his head-to-toe armor, but the prosthetic leg was plainly visible.

"We mean you no harm. We are from the island of Berk, and we wish to speak with your chief on a specific matter.", Stoic said to the two.

"Well, this is the chief. Ruffnut, quit ogling my husband!", Astrid snapped when she saw her old friend starring at the masked Hiccup.

The moment her voice rang out, the Berkians gasped and blinked as if they had never before seen such a person.

"Astrid?", her mother asked.

"M-m-mom?", she asked shakily in reply.

"Oh, Astrid! We thought you were dead! We were so worried, and we even had that marriage contract between you and Stoic's son destroyed. We figured that, on the off chance you weren't dead, that you might have ran off because you were in love with some stranger, like a trader from one of the other islands who shows up a few times a year.", her mother said as she cried and hugged Astrid.

"You, Dad, and Stoic made up a marriage contract between me and Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III?", Astrid asked her mother with a smirk.

"I know you didn't really like him, but we knew you would be a better leader than he would've been.", Astrid's father stated, but Astrid only laughed.

"No, I'm not upset. I never would've been.", Astrid told them, but they looked at her skeptically.

"I don't understand why anyone would want to marry Hiccup? That contract sounds like Hiccup gets a better deal than Astrid.", Snotlout replied confusedly, and then it was Hiccup's turn to laugh, as he dismounted Toothless and briefly watched his best friend run towards their house.

"Actually, it sounds pretty convenient to me.", he said as he removed his helmet.

Everyone starred, and their eyes met Hiccup's. The only person not stunned into silence was Gobber, who could not keep the smile off of his face.

"Not so much a toothpick anymore, Hiccup. I knew you'd grow up well!", he said to his former apprentice.

"Thanks for the support, Gobber, and for everything else.", Hiccup responded, gesturing to his left leg.

"It was no trouble, seeing how you lost it in the first place. That girl Astrid sent off to find you, just before you landed, must be your Janne.", Gobber said, and Hiccup nodded happily.

"Am I the only one who is _highly _confused here?", Stoic asked, and Hiccup gulped at the realization of confronting his father after seven years.

"Um, hi, Dad.", he barely managed out in reply.

Stoic did not yell, did not raise his voice, and did not get angry. Quite the contrary, he pulled his son into a hug and spoke in the quietest voice Hiccup had ever heard him use.

"I thought you were dead!"

"I'm sorry, Dad, about not telling you I was leaving. I knew if I did, you wouldn't have let me go. If I stayed, I would've embarrassed you again. Let me tell you, though, after today, I will never be more upset with myself for leaving than I am now.", Hiccup replied, deciding he would tell his father (and the other Berkians) his (and Astrid's) tale after he had checked up on his children, Viktor in particular.

"And why is that, son?", Stoic asked as he released Hiccup from his vast arms.

"Because I have never been more terrified than I was today when I was told my son had gone missing.", Hiccup answered before taking off towards his house.

"Follow me, don't touch anything, don't even think about trying to kill a dragon, and stay quiet. All of your questions will be answered once we get inside the house.", Astrid said as calmly as she could before running after Hiccup.

Janne and Kari took one look at what was going on at that moment from above the scene from on their dragons before flying over to the beach to help set up for the Dragon Festival. It was best to let Astrid and Hiccup deal with this on their own before Janne made her "grand entrance" as she liked to call it.

Inside the stone house, Hiccup found his son in the family room, staring into the glowing fire in the fire place.

"Hey there, Bud. I'm glad you're home.", he said as he sat down beside the four year old.

"Daddy, who was on the boat?", Viktor asked as he curled up at Hiccup's side.

"Well, it was your grandparents, my cousin, and some old friends of Mommy and me. Why were you so scared of them?", Hiccup replied, and the toddler looked up at him with his wide green eyes.

"I wasn't scared!", Hiccup gave him a look, "Maybe I was a little scared? Some people don't like dragons, and Strike _is_ a dragon."

"Vik, I know you were scared about losing Strike. I used to be scared of losing my best dragon-friend, too. When you saw that boat, what should you have done?", Hiccup asked his son calmly, but Viktor only looked at the floor.

"You should've come home. Your mommy was so worried, and I didn't even know you were missing until Sharpshot found me. Then, I was worried, too; and I was scared.", Hiccup allowed himself a small smile at the shocked look his son was giving him.

"But daddies can't be scared of _anything_!", he gasped.

"Oh, yes, we can be scared. Nothing scares me more than losing you, one of your sisters, or your mommy.", Hiccup said as the Berkians and Astrid walked into the house.

"What about Grandma?", Viktor asked, and Hiccup shook his head.

"Losing her doesn't scare me as much as losing one of you guys because I've lost her before. I'll explain it to you when you're older.", Hiccup told the toddler, who shrugged in reply.

"Okay. May I go play now?", he asked his father while batting his eyes.

"Go play with the toys in your room for now, or go see if the twins want to play a game with you; but no more playing outside until you talk with your mommy.", Hiccup said before placing a quick kiss to the toddler's head.

Viktor ran off, and Hiccup turned around, only to come face to face with his father.

"What did you mean about losing your mother?", Stoic asked as footfalls sounded on the stone staircase.

"Hiccup, what is Viktor talking about? He said something about your father being...here. Stoic?", it was Valka.

"Um...hehe...yeah. Dad, meet Mom. Mom, meet Dad. I think you two already know each other though.", Hiccup said awkwardly.

**A/N:** I am still alive! Surprising, isn't it? Well, after having it missing/taken for two months after a long stretch up writing Marvel stories, my flash drive has returned to my possession! I know this chapter was short, but I felt as if I owed you all something for being so patient with me! R&amp;R!

P.S., The names of Kari and Janne's dragons have nothing to do with the _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_**/**_Angle_ characters of the same name. Spike just happens to be a Nadder, which has spikes all over its head and spine.


End file.
